muzzle break question

[Hofs01]

I have found a local gunsmith that custom builds muzzle breaks for $95.00 bucks installed. I am having one fitted on my 22" 308 bull barrel. I was wondering if anyone could think of a reason that I should not have it made around 3 inches long? I want it to be as far away as possible and with a short barreled gun I thought an inch or two might help.


Your thoughts??


Brian

[McLernon]

A muzzle break means you have to wear ear protection to shoot-- at all times. At the range, shooters to your right and left will be unhappy with the noise!

Mc

[mitchell]

A muzzle break means you have to wear ear protection to shoot-- at all times. At the range, shooters to your right and left will be unhappy with the noise!

Mc

sorry but who cares ?? i pay for the darn range i was there to help them build it back up and everybody is told to wear ear pro anyway.

i like brakes on all the guns i can , it make shooting funner when you don't get your ass kicked by your gun every time .

if you would give me some info on your smith and the brake i'm looking at putting 2 on handis and one on a remington

[burntmuch]

Idont think An extra inch or two is gonna make a difference. You ll like it though. A brake turned my 7mag into a pussy cat.  Jay

[LaOtto222]

When he makes a muzzle brake, does he start the holes out further if it is longer? I have a 4" muzzle brake on one of my guns and he started the holes right after the barrel. It is non removable and I did this to make the barrel longer so it is a rifle length barrel not because of recoil. I think in the long run it will not make much difference in the noise. Think about your ear being 2" further away from a jet engine. The longer length will not make any difference in muzzle velocity either.

[mitchell]

if your worried about not being able to fire without ear plugs don't worry about it. if you shoot with out them now you have already messed up your ears . i'm 21 years old and i and 60% (ish) deaf in my left ear a few months ago they even thought about kicking me out of the army , all because i have shot too much in my life without ear plugs . now even if i'm not hunting with a rifle brake i always use plugs or muffs while hunting and at the range. i just isn't worth what hearing i have left take the time put the plugs in and don't worry about how loud the gun is. 

[Hofs01]

if you would give me some info on your smith and the brake i'm looking at putting 2 on handis and one on a remington

I am having it done tomorrow. He says he can do it while I wait. The good thing is that he is right next to my work. I have the info at work I will post pictures of the process tomorrow. I will wait to recommend him at this point.

Brian

[PHATINJUN]

I just picked up a 45/70 bbl that has a 3" muzzle brake on it have not shot it yet though but it makes it look "BAD" and there is one thing for sure I think this thing is really gonna  GO BBBAAANNNGGG when I touch one off. Kurt

[BANG_OW]

I've packed up and moved to another bench due to a fellow shooting a the Browning "Boss". I shoot .50 cal BMG at times and thought the guys next to me were just a bunch of girly whiners until I let my brother in law touch off a couple of rounds. Man, I felt like a heal, I think I  actually felt little particles of stuff hitting me. Muzzle brakes are great, but you do have to be considerate of others.

[Graybeard]

Personally I refuse to own a braked rifle barrel with a barrel less than 6' long and I actually prefer 10'. 

[aulrich]

This is one of those topics that seem to pop-up like clock work during sight-in season, I guess ranges are extra crowded and the extra noise and blast just add to the discomfort, I would not want to be beside me either.  But if I find myself at the range this time of year I have a problem that I need to fix, so if the guy next to me does not wear proper hearing protection it is his own fault.

Mind you since I built a portable shooting bench I avoid ranges like the plague (or at least the public one close to town) once you have a taste of private range you'll never go back.

[darat100]

Boy, I really tried not to say this, but I just can't keep it to myself.  You guys that say it is the other guys problem because YOU brought a rifle that impedes on someone elses session are a great example of why our country is in the shape it is.  There are so many out there that care about no one but themselves.  Grow up.  If you have to shoot a gun at the public range with a brake, wait until you can get away from everyone else.  I have a problem with my left ear because I was stupid and tried to shoot a 270 without ear protection.  I paid the price. Hurt like hell and I was behind the thing.  I can't imagine being there shooting and someone else doing that to me.  Once I got over the initial pain, I would be very tempted to return the favor.  If you can't have a little courtesy for the other guy, do us all a favor and stay home!

[EVOC ONE]

Boy, I really tried not to say this, but I just can't keep it to myself.  You guys that say it is the other guys problem because YOU brought a rifle that impedes on someone elses session are a great example of why our country is in the shape it is.  There are so many out there that care about no one but themselves.  Grow up. 

You are absolutely correct.

[jmckinley]

  I was going to stay out of this one but.........I was going to get a 300 but changed my mind. I tried a friends with a brake and the darn thing is way to loud for me. I wear good muffs and still rocked you. I decided to stay with my 06 or 308 and that will be the largest caliber i will shoot. I have 85-90% loss in my left ear and decided it is not worth the additional loss it can cause. If it floats your boat be my guest. The range I shoot on put the ported guns away from the rest of the shooters and it is still loud as h------!  Jess

[Mac11700]

Mind you since I built a portable shooting bench I avoid ranges like the plague (or at least the public one close to town) once you have a taste of private range you'll never go back.

How true...Public ranges are the pits around here when the weather is nice... The closer to deer season...the worse it gets...The lines get really long trying to get onto the range...so They  have a limit on how long you can even shoot...usually an hour...It's caused by all the once a year shooters having to go and re sight in their rifles...

Common decency never hurt any one...and there are a bunch of butt heads in the world who don't have any or any common sense...These guys really don't care if your getting side blasted or not..public...or private...At least with private..your complaints matter...public...well you might as well be talking to the wall...Most folks (like myself) who pay the price for joining a private range...go out of their way to make it enjoyable for everyone...and have rules to make it so...You won't find some one with a brake sit down next to others already shooting and start blasting away...They will be told quickly to stop if it is bothering anyone...and to move down the line further away from folks...

Mac

[aulrich]

Don't get me wrong even if the 338 is not coming out I'll leave as much space between me and the next guy as possible, but if there is one spot open and it is my turn i'm gonna shoot. And speaking of growing up it is not the guy beside you fault if you are not wearing hearing protection, oddly enough most guns produce hearing damaging noise, ported or not, it is your responsibility to protect your hearing.

[Mac11700]

but if there is one spot open and it is my turn i'm gonna shoot

And if your rifle is side blasting some one? You will continue any way? I'm confused a little...

If any ones muzzle break or compensator is hitting me with any gases or in some cases spitting lead & copper...you can bet they won't be continuing to shoot next to me...Noise is one thing..and is expected at a shooting range...Heck...some really big magnums that don't have any brakes on them are exceedingly loud...but...getting hit in the face with excess gas or debris from some one else rifle is a safety hazard that I won't and don't have to tolerate...Excess noise ...well...I have really good ear industrial plugs that work...but I will be damned if I have to wear a face shield....Just because some one wants to shoot his braked rifle at the only open bench...without regard to me or any one else there...is B.S. People that have rifles so equipped have a responsibility...and that is to take into account of all by-standers or folks shooting next to them on a firing line...or any where else when shooting them...They made the choice to shoot a so-equipped rifle...so they are the ones that will be held responsible for anything that happens because of it...Now...on the other hand...If they show me some respect..and explain them self and use common courtesy...that's another matter entirely...We can work something out...We can act like adults should...and take turns shooting...I have done this before...and I know this may be that persons only free time getting to shoot..and it may be the only rifle they have...I do understand that completely...

Mac

[aulrich]

How close are you benches?  while I have never put a tape to it there has got to be 8- 10' center to center between benches at the public range I use.  If your packed in damn near shoulder to shoulder  I will cave in and say I see your point.

[burntmuch]

Mac brings up a good point. Try to work with the guy next to ya. I use 2 different ranges one private one public. Youre packed in pretty tight at the public one.

[mitchell]

mitchell:  If you don't care about people on your left and right then you are a jerk.  Larry

up!! but as much as i shoot i care more about my shoulders then other peoples feelings . hello !!! its a range guns go BOOM!!! get over it just and wear some ear plugs ,wait til i build my 50

[quickdtoo]

Mitchell, it's not a matter of their feelings, the muzzle blast of a braked rifle is directed back and to the sides, that's how they reduce recoil, the blast is what hurts, not just the noise,  you're really disappointing your friends here if you aren't considerate enough to realize that!! Go stand down range to the side of someone shooting and you'll see what it's like, no fun at all, even with plugs and muffs!

The range I shoot at doesn't allow braked rifles anywhere but on the baffled shooting benches, even sitting 4 or 5 benches down from them, they're too close for me, the baffled benches are the last three of 20 or 21 benches, I won't shoot from any bench closer than #13.

Tim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_ballistics

[Hofs01]

I have a sound dosimeter for my work. My break should be ready on Saturday. I will try to go and get it and range test the difference of sound levels from the neighbors at the gun range! I think we could all agree that I am going to let everyone at the range know what I am going to be doing.

Brian

[Mac11700]

How close are you benches?  while I have never put a tape to it there has got to be 8- 10' center to center between benches at the public range I use.  If your packed in damn near shoulder to shoulder  I will cave in and say I see your point.

4 to 6 feet...depending if you are in a handicap stall or not for the public ranges...8' for the club I belong to...on the 100-600 yard berms..

Mac

[Mac11700]

Mitchell, it's not a matter of their feelings, the muzzle blast of a braked rifle is directed back and to the sides, that's how they reduce recoil, the blast is what hurts, not just the noise,  you're really disappointing your friends here if you aren't considerate enough to realize that!! Go stand down range to the side of someone shooting and you'll see what it's like, no fun at all, even with plugs and muffs!


Tim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_ballistics

trust me man try standing next to a m82 we weren't talkin about the freaking shock wave we were talking about noise  and it being loud enough to offend people, and to that if they can't handle the noise get off the range thats what happens , again guns go BOOM.

now about brakes throwing stuff people , i have never been on a range that was so close that my brakes where throwing stuff up on people. in this case i could see stopping useing brakes caz its not about feeling if your throwing stuff in peoples faces somebodys going to get hurt, so i would move but i'm still not taking off my brakes

mitch...we aren't talking about going thru military training shooting on a military base...Civies do things a little different ya know...

Noise...yes...there are loud magnums...excessive noise that totally disrupts the line...NOPE...you won't get to continue around here if a few people complain...wither you paid or not...As too how far a compensator or brake can throw lead or copper...Well...just for reference...I had a Stainless Marlin Guide Gun...that was ported... 1895...and it spit out a chunk that hit my car window over 20 feet away...I didn't use that cast load again...and I was very leary of shooting it around anyone after that......This is one of the reasons Marlin stopped making them as the did...and was for a short period replacing any ported barrel with a non ported one for free...They still will replace the barrels...but there is a small charge from what I was told...


......Most military compensator's...with the exception of some that I have used on the Drungonoff's... don't spit lead & jacket material...A-lot of the breaks on civilian rifles do...and folks that have them should test them and see if they are spitting... BEFORE shooting them at a crowded range ...Saying you didn't know...is akin to saying you didn't know the gun was loaded when it went off...To say you don't care...or too bad...I paid my money...doesn't cut it...One other thing...I hope you have a place to shoot your 50 when you get home...Most ranges around here are not allowing them unless they have at least 1000 yards...and 60 foot high berms for liability reasons...and due to the damage they do to the older shallow berms...

Mac

[aulrich]

4'-6' that changes everything Heck 8' chased me to a portable bench. If the blast effect is similar to the surface area of a sphere then the blast difference between 4' and 8' is huge. (area sphere 4*3.14159*r^2) so basically at 8' the blast is 1/4 that it is at 4'.  No I would no subject anyone to a ported gun at 4'. do flash hiders on AR's do the same sort of thing?

Mac your the first guy that has ever mentioned chunks coming out wouldn't that really degrade accuracy

[Mac11700]

Yup...chunks large enough to chip the glass that far away too...Believe it or not...that particular 45-70 was exceedingly accurate with a number of bullets other than those...I didn't get any large chunks out of it using the Nosler Partitions..mostly tiny bits and lots of carbon...so it was the bullet I shot with it from then on..until trading it in on a new one...Oh...and on a few public ranges...they would have 2 folks sharing a large bench...so you could be right next to another person too...Not all ranges are shooter friendly...and some look like an after thought...

Mac

[mitchell]

Mitchell, it's not a matter of their feelings, the muzzle blast of a braked rifle is directed back and to the sides, that's how they reduce recoil, the blast is what hurts, not just the noise,  you're really disappointing your friends here if you aren't considerate enough to realize that!! Go stand down range to the side of someone shooting and you'll see what it's like, no fun at all, even with plugs and muffs!


Tim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transition_ballistics

trust me man try standing next to a m82 we weren't talkin about the freaking shock wave we were talking about noise  and it being loud enough to offend people, and to that if they can't handle the noise get off the range thats what happens , again guns go BOOM.

now about brakes throwing stuff people , i have never been on a range that was so close that my brakes where throwing stuff up on people. in this case i could see stopping useing brakes caz its not about feeling if your throwing stuff in peoples faces somebodys going to get hurt, so i would move but i'm still not taking off my brakes

I hope you have a place to shoot your 50 when you get home...Most ranges around here are not allowing them unless they have at least 1000 yards...and 60 foot high berms for liability reasons...and due to the damage they do to the older shallow berms...

Mac

you don't remember my 700 yard range in my back yard at home???

[Ireload2]

"i'm 21 years old"

One of these days you will have someone shooting beside you with a very large muzzle brake and you will not like it.
I don't even like to sit next to another shooter with an unbraked rifle. I always try to have 2 or 3 empty benches between me and the next  shooter. I have been hit by crap flying out a muzzle brake and it stung like a wasp.
I have one rifle with a muzzle brake and I never fire it at the range unless I alone or there is a lot of space on either side of me..... except one time. The rifle is an Egyptian Hakim in 8X57 that has about the biggest muzzle brake ever put on a standard caliber rifle.
Two bozos came to the range when it was empty except for me. Out of 25 benches they just had to set up on the bench next to me.
They proceeded to sight in a 300 and a 7MM Weatherby, both with muzzle brakes. After about 20 shots of that I had to drag out my rifle.
If you have never fired a Hakim you have missed an experience. The blast generated feels like it it about to blow your baseball cap off.
I fired a half dozen rounds in a couple of minutes off the benchrest.  I looked up and noticed the 2  Weatherby shooters were staring a hole in me. I just stared back. They packed up their stuff and left. I am sure they did not appreciate the blast of my rifle.  But they didn't seem to  think their muzzle blast mattered.

 

[DalesCarpentry]

Good then you should feel at home and not bother anyone. Might get a little lonely though. Dale

[DalesCarpentry]

"i'm 21 years old"

One of these days you will have someone shooting beside you with a very large muzzle brake and you will not like it.
I don't even like to sit next to another shooter with an unbraked rifle. I always try to have 2 or 3 empty benches between me and the next  shooter. I have been hit by crap flying out a muzzle brake and it stung like a wasp.
I have one rifle with a muzzle brake and I never fire it at the range unless I alone or there is a lot of space on either side of me..... except one time. The rifle is an Egyptian Hakim in 8X57 that has about the biggest muzzle brake ever put on a standard caliber rifle.
Two bozos came to the range when it was empty except for me. Out of 25 benches they just had to set up on the bench next to me.
They proceeded to sight in a 300 and a 7MM Weatherby, both with muzzle brakes. After about 20 shots of that I had to drag out my rifle.
If you have never fired a Hakim you have missed an experience. The blast generated feels like it it about to blow your baseball cap off.
I fired a half dozen rounds in a couple of minutes off the benchrest.  I looked up and noticed the 2  Weatherby shooters were staring a hole in me. I just stared back. They packed up their stuff and left. I am sure they did not appreciate the blast of my rifle.  But they didn't seem to  think their muzzle blast mattered.

 

Well said. I plan on doing  brakes on some of mine. The range I shoot at I hardly ever run into another shooter unless it's near deer season. I would have the respect to not shoot it near other people. That is just me though.   Dale